Abstracting cloud management

ABSTRACT

The management of a virtual machine is disclosed. A virtual machine can be identified that is configured in accordance with a cloud management scheme. A processor of a computing system can abstract differences of management protocol between cloud management schemes. The processor can reconfigure the virtual machine in view of the abstracted differences. An instance of the reconfigured virtual machine can be created.

FIELD

This invention relates generally to network computing, moreparticularly, to systems and methods for cloud computing relatednetworks, services and products.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

The advent of cloud-based computing architectures has opened newpossibilities for the rapid and scalable deployment of virtual Webstores, media outlets, and other on-line sites or services. In general,a cloud-based architecture deploys a set of hosted resources such asprocessors, operating systems, software and other components that can becombined or strung together to form virtual machines. A user or customercan request the instantiation of a virtual machine or set of machinesfrom those resources from a central server or management system toperform intended tasks or applications. For example, a user may wish toset up and instantiate a virtual server from the cloud to create astorefront to market products or services on a temporary basis, forinstance, to sell tickets to an upcoming sports or musical performance.The user can lease or subscribe to the set of resources needed to buildand run the set of instantiated virtual machines on a comparativelyshort-term basis, such as hours or days, for their intended application.

Currently, cloud-based computing architectures are supported bydedicated servers used solely to operate the clouds. These dedicatedservers utilize unitary cloud management schemes in order to instantiatevirtual machines in the cloud. As such, these architectures lackflexibility in selecting different cloud management schemes toinstantiate virtual machines or communicate with the virtual machines.Likewise, these architectures lack the ability to migrate virtualmachines to clouds which utilize different cloud management schemes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, asthe same become better understood with reference to the followingdetailed description of the embodiments when considered in connectionwith the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary cloud computing architecture in whichvarious embodiments of the present teachings can be practiced;

FIG. 2 illustrates the exemplary cloud computing architecture in which acloud management system can utilize an abstraction library to manage acloud, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration for a cloudmanagement system, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary process for managing acloud, according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of another exemplary process for managinga cloud, according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the presentteachings are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodimentsthereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readilyrecognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can beimplemented in, all types of information and systems, and that any suchvariations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the presentteachings. Moreover, in the following detailed description, referencesare made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specificembodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes maybe made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present teachings. The following detailed description is,therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of thepresent teachings is defined by the appended claims and theirequivalents.

Embodiments of the present teachings relate to systems and methods forflexible management of a cloud computing environment. More particularly,embodiments relate to platforms and techniques in which a cloudmanagement system can support one or more clouds regardless of the cloudmanagement scheme utilized in the cloud.

According to embodiments, to manage and instantiate the virtual machinesregardless of the cloud management scheme of clouds, the cloudmanagement system can be configured to utilize an abstraction library.The abstraction library can be configured to abstract out thedifferences between different cloud management schemes. The abstractionlibrary can be configured to include a record of the different formatsutilized by the cloud management schemes in order to allowcommunication, control, instantiation, and management of the virtualmachines. Additionally, the abstraction library can be configured toinclude commands and software instructions to convent and to configurethe format of one cloud management scheme to another cloud managementscheme.

According to embodiments, the abstraction library can be implemented asany type of software library accessible by the cloud management system,management tools of the cloud management system, and other systems andapplication programs. The cloud management system can be configured tomaintain the abstraction library in a repository or storage.

According to embodiments, the cloud management system can be configuredto utilize the abstraction library to perform various processesassociated with the virtual machines regardless of the cloud managementscheme of the virtual machine. The cloud management system can beconfigured to format and to convert virtual machines to the cloudmanagement scheme of the cloud in which the virtual machine will beinstantiated. Likewise, the cloud management system can be configured toutilize the abstraction library to enable communication with virtualmachines that are formated according to a different cloud managementscheme than the communication.

By supporting clouds regardless of the infrastructure and cloudmanagement scheme, the cloud management system can create, manage, andsupport the clouds on any type of computing resources. Likewise, thecloud management system can support virtual machines and clouds ofdifferent cloud management schemes. Thus, the cloud management systemcan provide flexibility and efficiency to any cloud computingenvironment.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall cloud computing environment 100, in whichsystems and methods for the flexible management of the cloud computingenvironment 100, according to embodiments of the present teachings.According to embodiments, a cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to mange one or more clouds, such as a dedicated cloud 104and an ad-hoc cloud 106. As used herein, a “cloud” can comprise acollection of computing resources that can be invoked to instantiate avirtual machine, process, or other resource for a limited or definedduration.

As shown for example in FIG. 1, the collection of computing resourcessupporting the dedicated cloud 104 can comprise a set of resourceservers 108 configured to deliver computing resources and componentsneeded to instantiate a virtual machine, process, or other resource. Forexample, one group of resource servers can host and serve an operatingsystem or components thereof to deliver to and instantiate a virtualmachine. Another group of resource servers can accept requests to hostcomputing cycles or processor time, to supply a defined level ofprocessing power for a virtual machine. A further group of resourceservers can host and serve applications to load on an instantiation of avirtual machine, such as an email client, a browser application, amessaging application, or other applications or software. Other types ofresource servers are possible.

In embodiments, in addition to supporting the dedicated cloud 104, thecloud management system 102 can be configured to support the ad-hoccloud 106. The ad-hoc cloud 106 can be composed of a variety ofcomputing resources that may not be dedicated to a cloud but can haveavailable computing resources to contribute to the ad-hoc cloud 106. Forexample, a corporation or university can have a large number ofcomputing resources that support a variety of process (email, websites,individual user computing, and the like). The corporation or universitycan utilize the available excess computing resources to support anad-hoc cloud, such as ad-hoc cloud 106.

In embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the ad-hoc cloud 106 can besupported by a number of computing systems 110. For example, thecomputing systems 110 can include a variety of systems such as a set ofservers 112 and 114 and standalone user computing systems 116 and 118.The computing systems 110 can include hardware resources, such asprocessors, memory, network hardware, storage devices, and the like, andsoftware resources, such as operating systems (OS), applicationprograms, and the like.

In embodiments, the entire set of resource servers 108 or other hardwareor software resources used to support the cloud 104 and the computingsystems 110 used to support the cloud 106 can be managed by the cloudmanagement system 102. The cloud management system 102 can comprise adedicated or centralized server and/or other software, hardware, andnetwork tools that communicate via one or more networks 120 and networks122, such as the Internet or other public or private network, with allsets of resource servers 108 to manage the cloud 104 and with computingsystems 110 to manage the cloud 106 and their operation.

In embodiments, to manage the clouds 104 and 106, the cloud managementsystem 102 can be configured identify the computing resources of the setof resource servers 108 and computing systems 110. The cloud managementsystem 102 can be configured to include a network management agent thatis capable of querying the set of resource servers 108 and computingsystems 110 to determine the hardware and software resources. Likewise,the cloud management system 102 can be configured to communicate withexternal network management systems and/or resources monitoring agentsexecuting on the set of resource servers 108 and computing systems 110in order to determine the hardware and software resources of the set ofresource servers 108 and computing systems 110.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can be configured toidentify both the hardware and software resources of the set of resourceservers 108 and computing systems 110 and which of those resources areavailable for use in the cloud. The cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to identify the hardware resources such as type and amount ofprocessing power, type and amount of memory, type and amount of storage,type and amount of network bandwidth and the like, of the set ofresource servers 108 and computing systems 110. Likewise, the cloudmanagement system can be configured to identify the software resources,such as type of OS, application programs, and the like, of the set ofresource servers 108 and computing systems 110.

In embodiments, once the computing resources have been identified, thecloud management system 102 can be configured to store an identificationof the available resources in an inventory 124 in a repository 126. Therepository 126 can be any type of structure configured to storeinformation, such as a database. The repository 126 can be maintained ina computer readable storage device or medium whether local to or remotefrom the cloud management system 102.

In embodiments, the inventory 124 can be configured to includeinformation that identifies the set of resource server 108 and computingsystems 110 and information identifying the computing resourcesavailable. The sets of resource servers 108 and each system in thecomputing systems 110 can be identified by unique identifiers such as,for instance, Internet Protocol (P) addresses or other addresses. In theinventory 124, the cloud management system 102 can associate, with eachunique identifier, the computing resources available on that computingsystem.

In embodiments, to instantiate a new set of virtual machines, arequester can transmit an instantiation request to the cloud managementsystem 102. The instantiation request can include the specifications forthe set of virtual machines. The specifications can include theparticular type of virtual machine they wish to invoke for theirintended application. A requester can, for instance, make a request toinstantiate a set of virtual machines configured for email, messaging orother applications from the cloud 104 and/or 106. The specifications canalso include the type and/or amount of computing resources required. Forexample, the instantiation request can specify an amount of processingpower or input/output (I/O) throughput the user wishes to be availableto each instance of the virtual machine or other resources.

In embodiments, the requester's instantiation request can specify avariety of other specifications defining the configuration and operationof the set of virtual machines to be invoked. The instantiation request,for example, can specify a defined period of time for which theinstantiated machine or process is needed. The period of time can be,for example, an hour, a day, or other increment of time. In embodiments,the requester's instantiation request can specify the instantiation of aset of virtual machines or processes on a task basis, rather than for apredetermined amount of time. For instance, a requester could requestresources until a software update is completed. The requester can also,for instance, specify a service level agreement (SLA) acceptable fortheir application. One skilled in the art will realize that therequester's request can likewise include combinations of the foregoingexemplary specifications, and others.

In embodiments, the instantiation request can be received and processedby the cloud management system 102, which identifies the type of virtualmachine, process, or other resource being requested from thespecifications. The cloud management system 102 can then identify thecollection of computing resources necessary to instantiate that machineor resource. For example, the set of instantiated virtual machines orother resources can for example comprise virtual transaction serversused to support Web storefronts, or other transaction sites.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can be configured toutilize the specifications from the instantiation request and theinventory 124 of available computing resources to determine which cloudresources to devote to the requester's virtual machines to maximize thecomputing resources of the clouds 104 and/or 106 and meet therequester's specifications. For example, the cloud management system 102can select a group of servers in the set of resource servers 108 and/orcomputing system in the computing systems 110 that match or best matchthe instantiation request for each component needed to build the virtualmachine or other resource.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can maintain a set of“virtual groups,” and assign the set of resource servers 108 andcomputing systems 110 to different “virtual groups”. The “virtualgroups” can be based on the particular usage (type of virtual machine,application of the virtual machine, function of the virtual machine, andthe like) of the members in the groups. For example, the cloudmanagement system 102 can set up a “virtual group” for web servers. Thecloud management system 102 can classify the computing resources for theweb server “virtual group” based on which computing resources are bestsuited for web servers. As members of the web server “virtual group”request use of the cloud, the cloud management system 102 can assign theavailable computing resources classified in the web server “virtualgroup” to the members. Likewise, the “virtual groups” can be based onthe specifications of the computing resources (type and amount ofcomputing resources). For example, the cloud management system 102 cancreate a “virtual group” for high power computing users. The cloudmanagement system 102 can assign resources to this group that canadequately support computing intensive virtual machines. As members ofthe high power “virtual group” request use of the cloud, the cloudmanagement system 102 can assign the available computing resourcesclassified in the high power “virtual group” to the members. The cloudmanagement system 102 can maintain the virtual groups in a group record128 in repository 126.

When the request to instantiate a set of virtual machines or otherresources has been received and the necessary resources to build thatmachine or resource have been identified, the cloud management system102 can communicate with one or more set of resource servers 108 and/orcomputing systems 110 to locate resources to supply the requiredcomponents. The cloud management system 102 can select providers fromthe diverse set of resource servers 108 and/or computing systems 110 toassemble the various components needed to build the requested set ofvirtual machines or other resources. It may be noted that in someembodiments, permanent storage such as hard disk arrays may not beincluded or located within the set of resource servers 108 and thecomputing resources 110 available to the cloud management system 102,because the set of instantiated virtual machines or other resources maybe intended to operate on a purely transient or temporary basis. Inembodiments, other hardware, software or other resources not strictlylocated or hosted in the cloud can be leveraged as needed. For example,other software services that are provided outside of the clouds 104 and106 and hosted by third parties can be invoked by in-cloud virtualmachines. For further example, other non-cloud hardware and/or storageservices can be utilized as an extension to the clouds 104 and 106,either on an on-demand or subscribed or decided basis.

With the specification and resources identified, the cloud managementsystem 102 can extract and build the set of virtual machines or otherresources on a dynamic or on-demand basis. For example, one set ofresource servers 108 or computing systems 110 can respond to aninstantiation request for a given quantity of processor cycles with anoffer to deliver that computational power immediately and guaranteed forthe next hour. A further set of resource servers 108 or computingsystems 110 can offer to immediately supply communication bandwidth, forexample on a guaranteed minimum or best-efforts basis. In otherembodiments, the set of virtual machines or other resources can be builton a batch basis or at a particular future time. For example, a set ofresource servers 108 and/or computing systems 110 can respond to arequest for instantiation at a programmed time with an offer to deliverthe specified quantity of processor cycles within a specific amount oftime, such as the next 12 hours.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can then coordinate theintegration of the completed group of servers from the set of resourceservers 108 and/or computing systems from the computing systems 110, tobuild and launch the requested set of virtual machines or otherresources. The cloud management system 102 can track the combined groupof servers selected from the set of resource servers 108, computingsystems from the computing systems 110, or other distributed resourcesthat are dynamically or temporarily combined, to produce and manage therequested virtual machine population or other resources.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can then set up andlaunch the initiation process for the virtual machines, processes, orother resources to be delivered from the cloud. The cloud managementsystem 102 can for instance transmit an instantiation command orinstruction to the group of servers in set of resource servers 108and/or computing system in the computing systems 110. The cloudmanagement system 102 can receive a confirmation message back from eachparticipating server in a set of resource servers 108 and/or computingsystem in the computing systems 110 indicating a status regarding theprovisioning of their respective resources. Various sets of resourceservers can confirm, for example, the availability of a dedicated amountof processor cycles, amounts of electronic memory, communicationsbandwidth, or applications or other software prepared to be served.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can maintain a VM record130 of each virtual machine instantiated in the clouds 104 and 106. Eachvirtual machine can be assigned an instantiated machine ID that can bestored in the VM record 130, or other record or image of theinstantiated population. Additionally, the cloud management system 102can store the duration of each virtual machine and the collection ofresources utilized by each virtual machine in the VM record 130 and/orinventory 124. The cloud management system 102 can maintain the VMrecord 130 in the repository 126.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can further store, trackand manage a requester's identity and associated set of rights orentitlements to software, hardware, and other resources. Each requesterthat populates a set of virtual machines in the cloud can have specificrights and resources assigned and made available to them. The cloudmanagement system 102 can track and configure specific actions that arequester can perform, such as provision a set of virtual machines withsoftware applications or other resources, configure a set of virtualmachines to desired specifications, submit jobs to the set of virtualmachines or other host, manage other requesters of the virtual machinesor other resources, and other privileges or actions. The cloudmanagement system 102 can further generate records of the usage ofinstantiated virtual machines to permit tracking, billing, and auditingof the services consumed by the requester. In embodiments, the cloudmanagement system 102 can for example meter the usage and/or duration ofthe virtual machines, to generate subscription billing records for arequester that has launched those machines. Other billing or valuearrangements are possible.

The cloud management system 102 can configure each virtual machine to bemade available to requester and/or users of the one or more networks 120and/or 122 via a browser interface, or other interface or mechanism.Each instantiated virtual machine can communicate with the cloudmanagement system 102 and the underlying registered set of resourceservers 108 and/or computing systems 110 via a standard Web applicationprogramming interface (API), or via other calls or interfaces. Theinstantiated virtual machines can likewise communicate with each other,as well as other sites, servers, locations, and resources available viathe Internet or other public or private networks, whether within a givencloud 104 or 106 or between clouds.

It may be noted that while a browser interface or other front-end can beused to view and operate the instantiated virtual machines from a clientor terminal, the processing, memory, communications, storage, and otherhardware as well as software resources required to be combined to buildthe virtual machines or other resources are all hosted remotely in theclouds 104 and 106. In embodiments, the virtual machines or otherresources may not depend on or require the requester's own on-premisehardware or other resources. In embodiments, a requester can thereforerequest and instantiate a set of virtual machines or other resources ona purely off-premise basis, for instance to build and launch a virtualstorefront or other application.

Because the cloud management system 102 in one regard specifies, builds,operates and manages the virtual machines on a logical level, therequester can request and receive different sets of virtual machines andother resources on a real-time or near real-time basis, without a needto specify or install any particular hardware. The requester's virtualmachines, processes, or other resources can be scaled up or downimmediately or virtually immediately on an on-demand basis, if desired.In embodiments, the various sets of computing resources that areaccessed by the cloud management system 102 to support the virtualmachines or processes can change or be substituted, over time. The typeand operating characteristics of the virtual machines can neverthelessremain constant or virtually constant, since instances are assembledfrom abstracted resources that can be selected and maintained fromdiverse sources based on uniform specifications.

In terms of network management of the virtual machines that have beensuccessfully configured and instantiated, the cloud management system102 can perform various network management tasks including security,maintenance, and metering for billing or subscription purposes. Thecloud management system 102 of a given cloud 104 or 106 can, forexample, install or terminate applications or appliances on individualmachines. The cloud management system 102 can monitor operating virtualmachines to detect any virus or other rogue process on individualmachines, and for instance terminate the infected application or vialmachine. The cloud management system 102 can likewise manage the virtualmachines or other resources on a collective basis, for instance, to pushor deliver a software upgrade to all active virtual machines. Othermanagement processes are possible. Likewise, the cloud management system102 can be configured to communicate with external network managementsystems to coordinate the network management functions and processes.

In embodiments, more than one set of virtual machines can beinstantiated in a given cloud at the same, overlapping or successivetimes. The cloud management system 102 can, in such implementations,build, launch and manage multiple sets of virtual machines based on thesame or different underlying set of resource servers 108 or computingsystems 110, with populations of different sets of virtual machines suchas may be requested by different requesters. The cloud management system102 can institute and enforce security protocols in the clouds 104 and106 hosting multiple sets of virtual machines. Each of the individualsets of virtual machines can be hosted in a respective partition orsub-cloud of the resources of the clouds 104 and/or 106. The cloudmanagement system 102 of a cloud can for example deploy servicesspecific to isolated or defined sub-clouds, or isolate individualworkloads/processes within the cloud to a specific sub-cloud. Thesubdivision of the clouds 104 and/or 106 into distinct transientsub-clouds or other sub-components which have assured security andisolation features can assist in establishing multiple requesters or amulti-tenant cloud arrangement. In a multiple requesters scenario, eachof the multiple requesters can use the cloud platform as a commonutility while retaining the assurance that their information is securefrom other requesters of the overall cloud system. In furtherembodiments, sub-clouds can nevertheless be configured to shareresources, if desired.

In embodiments, the instantiated virtual machines supported by the cloud104 can also interact with instantiated virtual machines or processesgenerated in the cloud 106 or other clouds and vice versa. The cloudmanagement system 102 of clouds 104 and 106 can interface with the cloudmanagement system of other clouds, to coordinate those domains andoperate the clouds and/or virtual machines or processes on a combinedbasis.

As described above, the cloud management system 102 can instantiate andmanage the virtual machines instantiated in the clouds 104 and 106. Inembodiments, the instantiation and management of virtual machines can beperformed by virtual machine (VM) managers separate from the cloudmanagement system 102. The cloud management system 102 can be configuredto communicate with the separate VM managers in order to provide the VMmanagers with the computing resources available in the clouds 104 and106. The cloud management system 102 can be configured to communicateand cooperate with the VM managers regardless of the cloud managementscheme used by the VM managers.

In the foregoing and other embodiments, the requester making aninstantiation request or otherwise accessing or utilizing the cloudnetwork can be a person, customer, subscriber, administrator,corporation, organization, or other entity. In embodiments, therequester can be or include another virtual machine, application orprocess. In further embodiments, multiple requesters and/or entities canshare the use of a set of virtual machines or other resources.

FIG. 2 further illustrates aspects of the cloud computing environment100 in which the cloud management system 102 can manage the dedicatedcloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud 106 utilizing an abstraction library 200,according to various embodiments. While FIG. 2 only illustrates theinteraction of cloud management system 102 with the dedicated cloud 104and the ad-hoc cloud 106, one skilled in the art will realize that thecloud management system 102 can manage any number of clouds, forinstance, only one of the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud 106or other clouds in addition to the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoccloud 106.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cloud management system 102 can be coupled to anetwork 120 to communicate with the set of resource servers 108 andcoupled to the network 122 to communicate with computing systems 110 toprovide management services for the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoccloud 106. As mentioned above, the dedicated cloud 104 can comprise aset of resource servers 108 configured to deliver computing resourcesand components needed to instantiate a virtual machine, process, orother resource. The ad-hoc cloud 106 can be composed of a variety ofcomputing resources that may not be dedicated to a cloud but can haveavailable computing resources to contribute to the ad-hoc cloud 106. Forexample, a corporation or university can have a large number ofcomputing resources that support a variety of processes (email,websites, individual user computing, and the like). The corporation oruniversity can utilize the available excess computing resources tosupport the ad-hoc cloud 106.

In embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the ad-hoc cloud 106 can besupported by the computing systems 110. For example, the computingsystems 110 can include a variety of systems such as a set of servers112 and 114 and standalone user computing systems 116 and 118. Thecomputing systems 110 can include hardware resources, such asprocessors, memory, network hardware, storage devices, and the like, andsoftware resources, such as operating systems (OS), applicationprograms, and the like.

In embodiments, to manage and support the dedicated cloud 104 and thead-hoc cloud 106, the cloud management system 102 can be configured toidentify the computing resources of the set of resources servers 108 andthe computing systems 110. The cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to include a network management agent 202 that is capable ofquerying the set of resource servers 108 and the computing systems 110to determine the hardware and software resources. Likewise, the networkmanagement agent 202 can be configured to directly examine the set ofresource servers 108 and the computing systems 110 to determine thecomputing resources. The network management agent 202 can be configuredto include the necessary logic, routines, instruction, and commands tocommunicate with the set of resource servers 108 and the computingsystems 110 in order to identify the computing resources of the set ofresource servers 108 and the computing systems 110.

In embodiments, the network management agent 202 can be implemented as aportion of the code for the cloud management system 102. Likewise, thenetwork management agent 202 can be implemented as a separate softwaretool accessible by the cloud management system 102. The networkmanagement agent 202 can be written in a variety of programminglanguages, such as JAVA, C++, Python code, and the like to accommodate avariety of operating systems, machine architectures, etc. Additionally,the network management agent 202 can be configured to include theappropriate application programming interfaces (APIs) to communicatewith and cooperate with other components of the cloud management system102.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can be configured tocommunicate with an external network management system 204 in order todetermine the computing resources of the set of resource servers 108 andthe computing systems 110. The cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to send a request to the network management system 204 toidentify the computing resources. The network management system 204 canbe configured to transmit a query to the set of resource servers 108 vianetwork 120 and to the computing systems 110 via network 122, to receivea response identifying the computing resources of the set of resourceservers 108 and the computing system 110, and to provide the identifiedcomputing resources to the cloud management system 102.

In embodiments, the network management system 204 can be any type ofnetwork management application or tool to securely communicate with theset of resource servers 108 and the computing systems 110, to monitorthe state of the set of resource servers 108 and the computing systems110, to retrieve and request data from the set of resource servers 108and the computing systems 110, and to manage and direct the set ofresource servers 108 and the computing systems 110. For example, thenetwork management system 204 can be a “FUNC” server as described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/130,424, filed May 30, 2008,entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTE MANAGEMENT OF NETWORKED SYSTEMSUSING SECURE MODULAR PLATFORM” (U.S. Patent Application Publication No.20090300180) assigned to Red Hat Corporation, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference.

In embodiments, in order to aid in identifying the computing resources,the set of resource servers 108 and/or the computing systems 110 caninclude a resource monitoring agent. For example, as illustrated in FIG.2, the user computing system 116 can include a resource monitoring agent206. The resource monitoring agent 206 can be configured to identify thecomputing resources of the user computing system 116. The resourcemonitoring agent 206 can provide the identification of the computingresources to the cloud management system 102 and/or network managementsystem 208. The resource monitoring agent 206 can be configured toinclude the necessary logic, routines, instruction, and commands tocommunicate with the hardware and software resources of the computingsystems 110 in order to identify the computing resources of the set ofresource servers 108 and/or the computing systems 110.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 and/or networkmanagement system 204 can be configured to identify both the hardwareand software resources of the set of resource servers 108 and computingsystems 110 and which of those resources are available for use in thecloud. The cloud management system 102 can be configured to identify thehardware resources such as type and amount of processing power, type andamount of memory, type and amount of storage, type and amount of networkbandwidth and the like, of the set of resource servers 108 and thecomputing systems 110. Likewise, the cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to identify the software resources, such as type of OS,application programs, and the like, of the set of resource servers 108and the computing systems 110.

In embodiments, when identifying the computing resources, the cloudmanagement system 102 and/or network management system 204 can beconfigured to identify the usage and availability of the set of resourceservers 108 and the computing systems 110. For example, the computingsystems 110 can be supporting other processes outside the ad-hoc cloud106 and/or virtual machines in the ad-hoc cloud 106, and the set ofresource servers 108 can be supporting virtual machines in the dedicatedcloud 104. The cloud management system 102 and/or network managementsystem 204 can be configured to identify both the type and total amountof hardware and software resources as well as those currently availablefor use in the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud 106.

In embodiments, once the computing resources have been identified, thecloud management system 102 can be configured to store an identificationof the available resources in the inventory 124 in the repository 126.The repository 126 can be any type of structure configured to storeinformation, such as a database. The repository 126 can be maintained ina computer readable storage device or medium whether local to or remotefrom the cloud management system 102.

In embodiments, the inventory 124 can be configured to includeinformation that identifies the set of resource servers 108 and thecomputing systems 110 and information identifying the computingresources available. The set of resource servers 108 and the computingsystems 110 can be identified by unique identifiers such as, forinstance, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses or other addresses. Forexample, each system 112, 114, 116, and 118 can have a uniqueidentifier. In the inventory 124, the cloud management system 102 canassociate, with each unique identifier, the computing resourcesavailable on that computing system. The inventory 124 can include thetype and total amount of hardware and software resources and the typeand amount of available hardware and software resources.

In embodiments, once identified, the cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to instantiate the virtual machines, for example a virtualmachine 208, in the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud 106, asdescribed above in FIG. 1. The cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to utilize any type of cloud management scheme to instantiatethe virtual machines on the set of resource servers 108 and/or thecomputing system 110. Likewise, the cloud management system 102 canutilize different types of cloud management schemes on different ones ofthe set of resource servers 108 and/or the computing systems 110, forinstance, depending on which scheme can be supported by a particular oneof the set of resource servers 108 and/or computing system 110. Thecloud management system 102 can maintain the VM record 130 of eachvirtual machine instantiated in the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoccloud 106. Each virtual machine can be assigned an instantiated machineID that can be stored in the VM record 130. Additionally, the cloudmanagement system 102 can store the duration of each virtual machine andthe collection of resources utilized by each virtual machine in the VMrecord 130 and/or inventory 124. The cloud management system 102 canmaintain the VM record 130 in the repository 126.

In embodiments, the instantiation and management of virtual machinesdescribed above can be performed by the cloud management system 102.Likewise, the cloud management system 102 can be configured tocommunicate with one or more VM managers 210 separate from the cloudmanagement system 102. The cloud management system 102 can be configuredto communicate with the separate VM managers 210 in order to provide theVM managers 210 with the computing resources allocated to a particularvirtual machine, and the VM managers 210 can be configured toinstantiate the virtual machine on the allocated computing resources.The cloud management system 102 can be configured to communicate andcooperate with the VM managers 210 regardless of the cloud managementscheme used by the VM managers 210. For example, the VM managers 210 canbe a variety of different VM managers supporting cloud managementschemes such as Xen, Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), VMware,mainframe ZVM, and the like.

In embodiments, to manage and instantiate the virtual machinesregardless of the cloud management scheme of the dedicated cloud 104 andad-hoe cloud 106, the cloud management system 102 can be configured toutilize the abstraction library 200. The abstraction library 200 can beconfigured to abstract out the differences between different cloudmanagement schemes. This can include abstracting out any differencesbetween cloud management schemes used to format virtual machines, anydifferences in the management commands, protocols, APIs etc., and anyother differences between different cloud architectures. The abstractionlibrary 200 can be configured to include a record of the differentformats, commands, protocols APIs, etc. utilized by the cloud managementschemes in order to allow communication, control, instantiation, andmanagement of the virtual machines. Additionally, the abstractionlibrary 200 can be configured to include commands and softwareinstructions to convent the format of one cloud management scheme toanother cloud management scheme. The abstraction library 200 can beimplemented as any type of software library accessible by the cloudmanagement system 102, management tools of the cloud management system102, and other systems and application programs. The cloud managementsystem 102 can be configured to maintain the abstraction library 200 ina repository or storage, such as the repository 126. As such, the cloudmanagement system 102 can be configured to instantiate and managevirtual machines regardless of the cloud management scheme utilized bythe dedicated cloud 104 and ad-hoc cloud 106.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can be configured toutilize the abstraction library 200 when instantiating virtual machinesin the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud 106. The cloudmanagement system 102 can be configured to utilize the abstractionlibrary 200 in order to configure the virtual machines, to generate diskimages, operating system images, appliances etc., and to covert thevirtual machines from one virtualization scheme to anothervirtualization scheme when instantiating virtual machines in thededicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud 106. The cloud managementsystem 102 can utilize the abstraction library when instantiating newvirtual machines. Likewise, the cloud management system 102 can utilizethe abstraction library 200 when migrating virtual machines to orbetween the set of resource servers 108 and/or the computing systems110, for instance, when performing load balancing in the dedicated cloud104 and ad-hoc cloud 106.

For example, the dedicated cloud 104 can be supporting the Xen cloudmanagement scheme. When instantiating the virtual machine 208 in thededicated cloud 104, the cloud management system 102 can configure thevirtual machine 208 to the Xen cloud management scheme. Likewise, inanother example, the cloud management system 102 can receive the virtualmachine 208 formated to the KVM cloud management scheme. To instantiatethe virtual machine in the dedicated cloud 104, the cloud managementsystem 102 can convert the virtual machine 208 from the KVM cloudmanagement scheme to the Xen cloud management scheme.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can be configured toutilize the abstraction library 200 to communicate with the virtualmachines instantiated in the dedicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud106 regardless of the cloud management scheme of the clouds. The cloudmanagement system 102 can communicate with the instantiated virtualmachines in order to start, stop, suspend, reboot, query, etc. thevirtual machines. For example, the dedicated cloud 104 can be supportingthe Xen cloud management scheme and the cloud management system 102 canbe using management tools compatible with the ZVM cloud managementscheme. The cloud management system 102 can utilize the abstractionlibrary 200 to convert the commands from the ZVM compatible managementtools to the Xen cloud management scheme in order to communicate withthe virtual machine 208.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can be configured toutilize the abstraction library 200 to allow third parties tocommunicate with the virtual machines instantiated in the dedicatedcloud 104 and the ad-hoc cloud 106 regardless of the cloud managementscheme of those clouds. The third parties can communicate with theinstantiated virtual machines in order to start, stop, suspend, reboot,query, etc. the virtual machines. The cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to provide an interface 212 to receive receive communicationsfrom the third parties. The interface 212 can be any type of interfaceto communicate with third parties or management tools operated by thirdparties, such as VM managers, management tools, web browsers, networkmanagement tools, and the like. The cloud management system 102, throughthe interface 212, can be configured to receive the communication fromthe third parties in any cloud management scheme and configured toconvert the communication to the cloud management schemes of thededicated cloud 104 and the ad-hoe cloud 106 utilizing the abstractionlibrary 200.

For example, the dedicated cloud 104 can be supporting the Xen cloudmanagement scheme and the virtual machine 208 can be owned by arequester 214. The requester 214 can be using management toolscompatible with the ZVM cloud management scheme. The requester 214 canestablish a link between the management tools and the interface 212 tocommunicate with the virtual machine 208. The cloud management system102, through the interface 212, can utilize the abstraction library 200to convert the communications from the ZVM compatible management toolsto the Xen cloud management scheme of the dedicated cloud 104.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 102 can be configured tomanage communications between the virtual machines instantiated in thededicated cloud 104, ad-hoc cloud 106, and/or other clouds regardless ofthe cloud management scheme. The cloud management system 102 can beconfigured to establish a messaging bus, web service, or other APIbetween virtul machines and convert any messages or communications tothe appropriate cloud management scheme.

For example, the dedicated cloud 104 can be supporting the Xen cloudmanagement scheme and the virtual machine 208 can be instantiated in thededicated cloud 106. Likewise, a virtual machine 216 can be instantiatedin the ad-hoc cloud 106 and the ad-hoc cloud 106 can be supporting theKVM cloud management scheme. The virtual machine 208 may need tocommunicate with the virtual machine 216. For instance, the virtualmachine 216 can be providing a service to the virtual machine 208. Thecloud management system 102 can establish a messaging bus 218 betweenthe virtual machine 208 and the virtual machine 216, through thenetworks 120 and 122. The cloud management system 102 can utilize theabstraction library 200 to convert messages from the KVM compatiblevirtual machine 216 to the Xen cloud management scheme for receipt bythe virtual machine 208, and vice versa.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary diagram of hardware and other resourcesthat can be incorporated in a computing system 300 and configured tocommunicate with the clouds 104 and 106 via one or more networks 120 and122, according to embodiments. In embodiments as shown, the computingsystem 300 can comprise a processor 302 communicating with memory 304,such as electronic random access memory, operating under control of orin conjunction with operating system 308. Operating system 308 can be,for example, a distribution of the Linux™ operating system, such asSELinux, the Unix™ operating system, or other open-source or proprietaryoperating system or platform. Processor 302 also communicates with oneor more computer readable storage devices or media 310, such as harddrives, optical storage, and the like, for maintaining the repository126. Processor 302 further communicates with network interface 306, suchas an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turn communicateswith one or more networks 120 and 122, such as the Internet or otherpublic or private networks.

Processor 302 also communicates with the cloud management system 102, toexecute control logic and allow perform the management processes asdescribed above and below. Other configurations of the computing system300, associated network connections, and other hardware and softwareresources are possible.

While FIG. 3 illustrates the computing system 300 as a standalone systemincluding a combination of hardware and software, the computing system300 can include multiple systems operating in cooperation. The cloudmanagement system 102 can be implemented as a software application orprogram capable of being executed by the computing system 300, asillustrated, or other conventional computer platforms. Likewise, thecloud management system 102 can also be implemented as a software moduleor program module capable of being incorporated in other softwareapplications and programs. Further, the cloud management system 102 canalso be implemented as a software module or program module capable ofbeing incorporated in other management software applications andprograms. In any example, the cloud management system 102 can beimplemented in any type of conventional proprietary or open-sourcecomputer language. When implemented as a software application or programcode, the cloud management system 102 can be stored in a computerreadable storage medium, such as storage 310, accessible by thecomputing system 300.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a flexible management process for acloud computing architecture, according to embodiments. In 402,processing can begin. In 404, the cloud management system 102 canidentify a communication for a virtual machine instantiated according toa cloud management scheme. The communication can be formated accordingto a cloud management scheme different than the cloud management schemeof the virtual machine. The communication can originate with the cloudmanagement system 102, with a third party such as requester 214, oranother virtual machine.

In 406, the cloud management system 102 can be configured to convert thecommunication to the cloud management scheme of the virtual machine. Thecloud management system can utilize the abstraction library 200 toconvert the communication. The abstraction library 200 can abstract outthe differences between different cloud. The abstraction library 200 caninclude the different formats, commands, instructions, APIs utilized bythe cloud management schemes in order to allow communication, control,instantiation, and management of the virtual machines. Additionally, theabstraction library 200 can include commands and software instructionsto convent the format of one cloud management scheme to another cloudmanagement scheme.

In 408, the cloud management system 102 can provide the convertedcommunication to the virtual machine. Then, in 410, the process can end,but the process can return to any point and repeat.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of another flexible management processfor a cloud computing architecture, according to embodiments. In 502,processing can begin. In 504, the cloud management system 102 canidentify a virtual machine to instantiate on a computing systemsupporting a cloud management scheme. For example, the virtual machinecan be a new virtual machine to instantiate on the set of resourceservers 108 and/or computing systems 110. Likewise, the virtual machinecan be a virtual machine to migrate to or between one or more the set ofresource servers 108 and/or computing systems 110 utilizing a differentcloud management scheme.

In 506, the cloud management system 102 can configure the virtualmachine for the cloud management scheme of the computing system. Thecloud management system can utilize the abstraction library 200 toconfigure the virtual machine. The abstraction library 200 can abstractout the differences between different cloud management schemes. Theabstraction library 200 can include the different formats, commands,instructions, APIs, etc. utilized by the cloud management schemes inorder to allow communication, control, instantiation, and management ofthe virtual machines. Additionally, the abstraction library 200 caninclude commands and software instructions to convert the format of onecloud management scheme to another cloud management scheme.

In 508, the cloud management system 102 can instantiate the virtualmachine on the computing system. Then, in 510, the process can end, butthe process can return to any point and repeat.

Certain embodiments may be performed as a computer application orprogram. The computer program may exist in a variety of forms bothactive and inactive. For example, the computer program can exist assoftware program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code,object code, executable code or other formats; firmware program(s); orhardware description language (HDL) files. Any of the above can beembodied on a computer readable medium, which include computer readablestorage devices and media, and signals, in compressed or uncompressedform. Exemplary computer readable storage devices and media includeconventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-onlymemory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electricallyerasable, programmable ROM), and magnetic or optical disks or tapes.Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrieror not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running thepresent teachings can be configured to access, including signalsdownloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples ofthe foregoing include distribution of executable software program(s) ofthe computer program on a CD-ROM or via Internet download. In a sense,the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readablemedium. The same is true of computer networks in general.

While the teachings has been described with reference to the exemplaryembodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to makevarious modifications to the described embodiments without departingfrom the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used hereinare set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant aslimitations. In particular, although the method has been described byexamples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different orderthan illustrated or simultaneously. Furthermore, to the extent that theterms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variantsthereof are used in either the detailed description and the claims, suchterms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term“comprising.” As used herein, the term “one or more of” with respect toa listing of items such as, for example, A and B, means A alone, Balone, or A and B. Those skilled in the art will recognize that theseand other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as definedin the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying a virtualmachine that is configured in accordance with a first cloud managementscheme; abstracting, by a processor of a computing system, differencesof management protocol between the first cloud management scheme and asecond cloud management scheme; reconfiguring, by the processor, thevirtual machine from the first cloud management scheme to the secondcloud management scheme in view of the abstracted differences; andcreating an instance of the reconfigured virtual machine.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein the reconfiguring is further in view of aninstruction to configure the virtual machine in accordance with thesecond cloud management scheme.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising receiving the virtual machine to instantiate on the computingsystem.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising migrating thevirtual machine from an original computing system to the computingsystem.
 5. A computing system comprising: a memory to store anabstraction library; and a processor, operatively coupled with thememory, to: identify a virtual machine that is configured in accordancewith a first cloud management scheme; abstract differences of managementprotocol between the first cloud management scheme and a second cloudmanagement scheme; reconfigure, in view of the abstraction library, thevirtual machine to the second cloud management scheme in view of theabstracted differences; and create an instance of the reconfiguredvirtual machine.
 6. The computing system of claim 5, wherein toreconfigure is further in view of an instruction to configure a virtualmachine in accordance with the second cloud management scheme.
 7. Thecomputing system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further to receivethe virtual machine to instantiate on the computing system.
 8. Thecomputing system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further to migratethe virtual machine from an original computing system to the computingsystem.
 9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprisinginstructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, causethe processor at least to: identify, by the processor, a virtual machinethat is configured in accordance with a first cloud management scheme;abstract, by the processor, differences of management protocol betweenthe first cloud management scheme and a second cloud management scheme;reconfigure, by the processor, the virtual machine to the second cloudmanagement scheme in view of the abstracted differences; and create, bythe processor, an instance of the reconfigured virtual machine.
 10. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein thereconfiguring is further in view of an instruction to configure, by theprocessor, the virtual machine in accordance with the second cloudmanagement scheme.
 11. The non-transitory computer readable storagemedium of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to receive, by theprocessor, the virtual machine to instantiate on the processor.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein theprocessor is further to migrate, by the processor, the virtual machinefrom an original processor to the processor.